


One Way or Another

by lazypanther



Category: Hardy Boys - Franklin W. Dixon, Nancy Drew - Carolyn Keene, Nancy Drew/Hardy Boys Super Mysteries - Franklin W. Dixon & Carolyn Keene
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-03-13
Updated: 2014-03-13
Packaged: 2018-01-15 13:56:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,503
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1307296
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lazypanther/pseuds/lazypanther
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Their lives had always managed to intertwine somehow, even under the most unlikely circumstances. This time is no exception.</p>
            </blockquote>





	One Way or Another

Nancy absent-mindedly straightened the sparkling silverware in its place beside the fine china as she glanced at the grandfather clock against the dining room wall. Their guests would be here any minute and she was anxious for them to arrive. She hadn’t seen her daughter in almost six months, not since her trip home during winter break, and this dinner was long overdue. Looking back she couldn’t believe how her father had let her travel the world as much as he had without losing his mind with worry when she could hardly stand having her oldest child away at college. 

It was funny. When she was younger she would never have imagined herself as a mother worrying about her children and their whereabouts on a daily basis – but here she was. And now she couldn’t imagine being any other way. 

“Honey, you’ve straightened that set at least three times already. I think it’s good.”

Nancy turned around and faced her husband, who was smiling at her from the doorway. His voice was teasing but his warm brown eyes were gentle and understanding. He was a little nervous too, though he was trying his best to hide it. 

Nancy sighed and forced herself to walk away from the table, resisting the urge to glance at the clock again. “I know, I know. I just want everything to be perfect for Lizzie. I’d hate to give her boyfriend a bad impression of us.”

“You’re right. He’d probably think we were heathens if the forks were crooked.” At her mild glare he chuckled and moved toward her, wrapping his arms around her in a familiar, warm embrace. She returned the hug and then leaned back to look into his face. His eyes had more wrinkles around them now than when they were younger and his thick dark hair was just barely starting to recede at the sides but he was still as handsome as ever, maybe even more so.

“I hope he’s not allergic to anything. I completely forgot to ask Liz about that.” Nancy bit her lip, a small frown wrinkling her brow. She pulled away from Ned to walk into the kitchen and check the refrigerator. “I guess we have leftovers if he’s lactose-intolerant or something...”

“Nancy, it’s okay. Quit worrying. The dinner you made is great, I’m sure they’ll both love it.” Ned followed her into the brightly lit kitchen, leaning against the counter top. “You know you can’t go wrong with one of Hannah’s recipes.”

Nancy shut the refrigerator door and leaned against it, mirroring Ned’s relaxed stance. “Yeah, I know. It’s just… there’s something about the way she sounded on the phone. I know we’ve met a few of her boyfriends before but I get the feeling there’s something different with this one.” 

“Is that detective’s intuition talking?” Ned asked with a fond smile.

Nancy couldn’t help but return the smile. “More like a mother’s intuition, actually.” She sighed again. “I just wish she would’ve told us more about him. I feel so unprepared for this.” 

Elizabeth, known to her family and friends as Liz or Lizzie, had always been fairly open as a child but as she aged she had become more private, especially where her romantic life was concerned. All she had told her mother when she had called to inform them that she was bringing her new boyfriend home with her was his name – Donovan – and that they had been dating for a few months now. Liz had met Donovan at school; they were both students at NYU. Nancy hoped it wasn’t too serious yet. Liz was only twenty, soon to be twenty-one, and she assumed Donovan was about the same age. But Nancy’s gut feeling said that this boy was special to her daughter. He was the only one she’d mentioned by name since she’d been in New York and definitely the first one she’d considered bringing home. That was a big move for their cautious daughter. 

Ned and Nancy’s heads turned toward the window as the sound of a car pulling in the driveway caught their attention.

“Unprepared or not, looks like they’re here,” Ned remarked as he and his wife moved out of the kitchen and into the living room toward the front door. He placed his hands on Nancy’s shoulders and squeezed gently, keeping her from racing to the door. Nancy slowed her pace and smiled at him gratefully over her shoulder. Together, they reached the door and stepped out on the front porch to greet their daughter and her boyfriend.

A dark gray rental was parked in the drive. When Ned and Nancy appeared at the steps, both doors opened and the passengers emerged. The driver was a slender, tall woman with shoulder-length auburn hair, darker than her mother’s own graying red-gold tresses but obviously related. Her bright blue eyes shined as she shut the car door and trotted up the driveway and toward her parents. 

“Mom! Dad!” she chimed happily as she threw her arms around them both. Nancy and Ned returned the gesture gladly, laughing gently at her enthusiasm. Although Liz wasn’t by any means shy or standoffish, she also wasn’t easily prone to such exuberant displays of affection. Her parents welcomed it. 

After a few seconds, Nancy stepped back to look at Liz and was pleasantly surprised. Liz had been somewhat of a tomboy growing up, much to her “Aunt” Bess’ dismay, not caring too much what she wore or how her hair looked. But now Nancy noticed she had changed her hairstyle to something more elegant, wearing it halfway up rather than her usual messy ponytail. She also appeared to be wearing eyeliner and lip gloss, things she usually reserved for special occasions. The denim skirt was new too. They were just little things, but overall, she appeared more mature and stylish than the last time she’d been home. 

Liz turned and waved at the young man who was still standing by the car watching the reunion with a smile on his face. Nancy too turned her attention to the boy as he walked toward them. She could see even at a distance that he was a very attractive young man, tall and well-toned with dark brown hair and a tan complexion. He smiled shyly as he stepped up beside Liz, taking her hand. Big, dark eyes met Nancy’s and she blinked in slight surprise. Now that he was up close she couldn’t help but notice how oddly familiar he looked, especially his eyes. After a few seconds his smile became self-conscious and Nancy realized she’d been staring. A light blush colored her cheeks and she immediately held out her hand toward the poor boy. His smile widened again and he shook her hand gently but firmly, his strong hands dwarfing her own. He turned his smile and hand toward Ned as Liz introduced him.

“Mom, Dad, this is Donovan. Don, these, of course, are my parents, Nancy and Ned,” she said proudly, eyes twinkling as she observed her father and boyfriend shaking hands and trading smiles. Nancy also watched Ned’s face as he shook hands with the boy. And for about half a second Nancy could have sworn she saw something like recognition flash in Ned’s eyes but it was too fleeting to be sure. 

“Nice to meet you, Donovan. We’re glad you could come. I hope you kids had a good flight.” Ned smiled kindly at the young man and then gestured for the rest of them to enter the house ahead of him. Liz and Donovan went in followed by Nancy then Ned and the four made their way to the living room.

“Thank you, sir, I’m glad to be here. Our flight was fine, though I think we both slept through most of it. And, please, just call me Don,” Donovan replied as he and Liz sat on the loveseat. Ned and Nancy took the two chairs across from them. 

“I’ll call you Don if you don’t call me ‘sir’,” Ned joked. 

“Hey, where’s Tyler?” Liz asked, looking around for her thirteen year old brother. “I thought he’d be here.”

“He will be later. He went to the movies with his friends. He should be back by eight or so.” Nancy smiled. “Don’t worry, he’s not going to miss seeing his big sister.”

“So you two met in school, right? Lizzie didn’t give us very many details. What are you majoring in?” Ned asked, trying to get Donovan involved in the conversation. 

“Aero-dynamic engineering. I’ve always loved planes. My father is a recreational pilot and he got me addicted to flying when I was a boy,” Donovan answered enthusiastically, apparently willing to satisfy their curiosity. Nancy took the opportunity to observe the pair on the couch. They sat close together and Liz had her hand resting on his arm, supportive but not clingy. He leaned toward her just slightly, as if acknowledging her support. They seemed very comfortable together and the look on Liz’s face as she watched her boyfriend answer her father’s question confirmed Nancy’s gut feeling. Her daughter loved this boy or at least cared very deeply for him.

Nancy turned her attention back to Donovan. He was taking turns with Liz telling the story of how they met at a library. He didn’t appear to be nervous, though Nancy noticed he often glanced at Liz as if checking to see if he was doing well. He had a soft, deep voice and a quiet confidence about him that was calming. Just then he reached up and ran a hand through his dark hair and Nancy was hit by a feeling of déjà vu. It was crazy but for a second it felt like she was looking at an old friend.

The sound of a buzzer going off snapped her out of her thoughts. Thankful that no one appeared to notice her spacing out for a second time she quickly stood and made for the kitchen. 

“Dinner’s ready! Ned, you want to show the kids to the table?” Nancy said over her shoulder as she left the room.

“Oh, Mom, let me help you,” Liz offered as they all stood to move into the dining room.

“No, no, I’ve got it, Lizzie. You guys just get seated. Don, you’re not allergic to any kinds of food, are you?” 

“Oh, no, ma’am, not really. Just cardamom but I don’t think very many people use that spice here.”

Nancy paused for a second before responding. “No, no cardamom in tonight’s recipe so you’re safe. And if he”, she nodded toward her husband, “doesn’t have to be ‘sir’ then I refuse to be called ‘ma’am’. Please, just call me Nancy.” She smiled at Don before retreating to the kitchen to pull the pasta dish from the oven. 

Cardamom. There was only one other person she knew who was allergic to the Indian spice but a lot of people were supposed to be allergic to it so that didn’t really mean anything. Did it? No, that was ridiculous. She was really reaching now. Maybe Donovan just resembled a famous actor or something and that’s why he seemed so familiar to her. Ned must have realized it too. She’d have to ask him later who he thought Don looked like. 

Nancy quickly grabbed some mitts to carry the dish to the table where everyone was seated and waiting. She placed it on the waiting pot holder and then turned back to bring out the salad. This time Liz got up to help despite Nancy’s insistence that she remain seated and mother and daughter quickly worked to toss the salad ingredients together and grab the dressing and drinks. Right before leaving the kitchen to take everyone their glasses Liz paused and turned to her mother.

“So… what do you think of Don?” she whispered anxiously, searching her mother’s facial expression for an answer, cobalt eyes wide.

Nancy squeezed Liz’s hand. “So far, Lizzie, I think he’s a very sweet young man. And very smart, too, from the sound of it. I’m glad you brought him with you.” Liz practically beamed and the two of them continued to the dining room.

Finally, everyone was seated at the table and digging into their generously filled plates. For a few minutes there was contented silence as the two couples ate before Nancy decided it was her turn to ask Donovan some questions. 

“So, Don, where are you from?”

Donovan swallowed before answering. “I was born in New York City and my family lived there until I was about eleven. But then my grandfather retired and left his business to my dad and uncle so we moved to Bayport, an old harbor town a couple hours outside the City. That’s where I lived up until I left for NYU.”

Nancy froze with her fork halfway to her mouth. Out of the corner of her eye she noticed Ned wasn’t moving either. They both stared at Donovan before Nancy repeated the name that had stood out to both her and her husband. “Bayport?”

By now, Donovan had noticed their odd stares and was looking back at them uncertainly. “Yeah. Bayport, New York.” He watched as the older couple traded a glance before looking at Liz for clarification. She looked just as confused as he. 

“Mom? Dad? What’s wrong?” she asked slowly, no doubt wondering why her parents were suddenly acting like Donovan had just claimed to be an alien from Mars.

Nancy didn’t answer, just returned to staring in wonder at Donovan, who began to shift uncomfortably under her intense blue gaze. Those eyes, the hand-in-the-hair mannerism, the odd allergy, and now the town… it was too much to be a coincidence. Finally, she set her fork down and rested her elbows on the table before asking the question she was certain she already knew the answer to. “What’s your last name, Don?”

Donovan glanced at Liz before turning back to Nancy.

“Hardy.”

For a second, there was complete silence. Ned carefully set down his silverware, dark eyes fixed on Donovan. Nancy blinked once before lifting her fingers to her lips when they twitched, unexpectedly fighting the urge to laugh. 

“No way,” Ned finally said, as he sat back in his chair, eyes darting between his worried daughter and her increasingly mystified boyfriend. 

“Is that a problem?” Donovan hesitantly spoke, as if he were afraid of the answer. 

“Is Frank your father? Or is it Joe?” Nancy asked with shock evident in her voice and her expression. She knew what he was going to say before he even opened his mouth.

Donovan’s dark eyes widened. “Frank is my fath- Wait a minute. How do you know my family’s names?” he inquired, leaning forward, shyness suddenly gone. 

Liz followed suit, her voice a little agitated. “Mom, what’s going on? Dad? How do you know Donnie’s family?”

Nancy finally tore her eyes away from Don to look at her daughter, immediately noticing that she was beginning to get upset at how oddly they were treating her boyfriend. 

“I’m sorry, Lizzie, Don, we don’t mean to be rude. It’s just that… well, I can’t believe you’re Frank Hardy’s son. You looked familiar but I thought I was just imagining it at first.” She looked at Ned, who now had a neutral expression on his face. She had a feeling she knew what was going through his mind but that could wait until later. She looked back to Liz and Don, who seemed a little more relaxed but still confused. 

Nancy felt a fond smile break out across her face as she started explaining. This was all too amazing. She’d always had a knack for running into the Hardy brothers in the strangest ways but this one took the prize.

“I’ve known Frank and Joe Hardy for a very long time. We first met as children and we were pretty close when we were teenagers. I’m sure you know all about your father’s and uncle’s adventures as ‘amateur’ detectives when they were young?” At Don’s quick nod, Nancy continued. “I was a ‘part-time investigator’ as I liked to call myself at the time and the three of us often worked together on cases. And we made a fairly impressive team, if I do say so myself.” Nancy’s eyes had taken on a distant look as she recalled the fond memories. 

Donovan’s eyes widened again, this time with recognition. “Nancy… You’re the Nancy Drew they used to talk about, aren’t you? Wow, Dad and Uncle Joe said you really helped them out of some tight situations.”

“Well, they did the same for me, I can assure you. We were really good friends. I can’t believe we lost touch. I haven’t seen or spoken to either of them in years – way before Tyler was born, I think. I knew Frank married Callie and they had a child but I thought he or she would be older…” Nancy trailed off, refocusing her gaze to look at Donovan inquiringly.

“You must mean my brother, Alex. He’s a couple years older than me. I’m a year older than Lizzie, twenty-one.”

“Huh. Do you have any other siblings, besides Alex?” Nancy asked, intrigued. She found the very idea of a Hardy Boy having children to be mind-boggling, which was ridiculous considering. If she could do it, why couldn’t he? If anything, the fact that she, Nancy “Girl Detective” Drew, was a wife and mother was much more incredible than the idea of serious, doting Frank Hardy being a husband and father. Even she had a hard time believing it sometimes.

“Yeah, I have two younger siblings, Joanna and Michael. Joanna is in her junior year in high school and Mikey is the baby. He’s about the same age as Tyler.” Donovan filled her in, his apparent unease now replaced with the same eager willingness he’d demonstrated earlier. Liz also appeared much more comfortable and curious about this surprising connection. Nancy had told her many stories of her younger days as well but had never mentioned the names of her occasional partners in sleuthing. Even Ned was having a hard time curbing his curiosity, though an almost imperceptible frown still creased his brow. But when his daughter met his eyes across the table, he immediately offered her a reassuring smile, gaining one in return.

Donovan was now showing Nancy some pictures he had in his wallet of his family. Ned looked over Nancy’s shoulder as she examined them, an amazed smile still on her face. One showed a professional shot of a group of four young people, including Donovan. There was a strong family resemblance among them, even with the girl, Joanna. She had light brown hair and her mother’s soft amber eyes. The oldest, Alex, looked very much like his brother Donovan only with slightly darker hair and green eyes. 

The youngest, Michael, stood out the most as the only sibling with blonde hair. The light in his dark eyes and his charming smile automatically reminded Nancy of his uncle, Joe Hardy.

The second photo showed a happily married couple, older than Nancy remembered ever seeing them. That didn’t stop the familiar old spark from long ago from reappearing for a brief moment when she looked at the man in the picture. Even after many years, Frank Hardy was incredibly handsome. His thick dark hair was just brushed with grey at the temples, lending him a dignified appearance, and his rich brown eyes seemed intense even on paper. Nancy’s gaze moved to the beautiful woman on his arm and her smile softened fondly. She had only ever met Callie Shaw once briefly and most of her memories of the woman came from pictures Frank had carried of her. Her golden blonde hair was cut shorter than she’d worn it as a teen and she was a little curvier but her face seemed untouched by age. They made a beautiful couple and Nancy was happy to see that Frank had such a wonderful life and family. He certainly deserved it.

She handed the photos back to Donovan when she was done looking at them and thanked him as he replaced them in his wallet. Nancy then picked up her fork and attempted to resume eating her cooling food. 

“So… now that we have that settled, why don’t you tell us more about yourself? Do you have any other interests besides airplanes and school?”

Before Don could reply, Ned added his own question. Keeping his eyes on his plate, he inquired casually, “Are you interested in detective work, like your father?”

Nancy and Liz glanced at each other, knowing what the older man was thinking. Don, however, just looked mildly surprised by the question. 

“Oh, no, not really. I’m afraid I’m not the adventurous type. That’s more my older brother’s thing. He’s a firefighter and once in a while he tries to help my father and uncle on a case. But I leave that up to him. I prefer mystery novels and 007 movies to real-life action,” he answered, somewhat sheepishly. “I’m kind of boring, actually.”

Liz reached over to squeeze his hand. “I don’t think you’re boring,” she assured, gazing at him adoringly and making him blush slightly.

Nancy smiled at the young couple and then turned to her husband. He was smiling also and Nancy noticed that he was actually eating his food now instead of just pushing it around his plate. She caught his eye and winked at him reassuringly before working on her own dinner. 

***

A couple of hours later Nancy was washing dishes in the kitchen with Ned while her two children and Don played a video game in the living room. Their laughter and chatter carried through the house and warmed her heart. It was nice to have her whole family together again, even for just a while. She handed a dripping, clean dish to Ned to dry and noticed the far away look in eyes. She knew what he was thinking about. She was still thinking about it too.

“What are the odds, huh?” 

Ned looked at her for a second to gauge what she was referring to before replying quietly. 

“Oh, I don’t know. Considering how it was when we were teenagers I’d say the odds were pretty high. It almost seems like we should’ve expected it.” He didn’t quite sound resigned but after twenty-two years of marriage she could read between the lines.

“You don’t seem too enthusiastic about it,” she ventured gently. She had a feeling she knew the reason why. There were a couple of reasons, actually.

Ned sighed. He glanced over his shoulder into the living room before standing closer to Nancy to speak without being overheard. “It’s not that I don’t like him. He seems like a great kid. It’s just kind of… frustrating to me, I guess, that even after so many years there’s still a Hardy chasing after one of my girls.” He finished drying his plate and set in its place in the cupboard.

Nancy couldn’t help but chuckle at the slightly petulant tone of Ned’s voice at that comment and she just laughed harder when Ned mock glared at her. She was right on one reason so far. She shook her head and rinsed off another plate. 

“Don’t tell me you’re still jealous of Frank? That was ages ago and you know there was really nothing between us besides flirting and teenage hormones.” That was mostly true, she decided. Maybe it could have been more… but it didn’t happen and she was perfectly happy with that. She was perfectly happy with her life with Ned. 

She added before Ned could interrupt, “And, just for the record, Frank never ‘chased after’ me. That was all in your imagination. Frank was always a perfect gentleman and I’m sure his son is, too.” She handed him another plate.

Ned snorted and didn’t quite roll his eyes. “Right.” He wiped his hand towel over the gleaming surface of the china, a tiny frown turning down the corners of his mouth. He looked like a pouting little boy and it made Nancy smile at him affectionately. It was flattering that after so long he still cared enough to admit to being jealous over an old friend of hers. 

Nancy leaned up on her toes to plant a kiss on the tip of his nose. “Ned, you know you’ve always been the only one for me. Any fleeting feeling for any other guy, including Frank Hardy, just served as further proof of that fact to me.” She waited until his lips twitched in a small smile before turning back to the sink. “But that’s not the main reason you’re worried about this, is it?”

Ned didn’t even seem surprised that she knew of his other reservations. He bit his lip as he thought of how to answer her and took extra care in making sure the plate was dry before putting it away. “It’s just that… he says he’s not interested in the same line of work as Frank and Joe but what if he changes his mind later on?”

“What if he changes his mind later on? Why would it matter?” Nancy asked carefully, knowing this could be a touchy subject. 

They had talked extensively when Liz and Tyler were very young about what they would do if either of their children showed a tendency for the same adventurous and inquisitive (Ned said “nosy”) spirit Nancy had when she was a teen. They had decided to allow their children to pursue whatever path they wanted but only with less leniency than Nancy’s own father had shown toward her numerous and dangerous activities. And, while they would allow their kids to chase their dreams to an extent, they wouldn’t try to push or encourage them in any particular direction they weren’t naturally interested in, particularly in regards to amateur sleuthing. That is why while Nancy had often related stories of her many cases she had always tried to temper her enthusiasm with emphasis on the responsibility that had come along with her cases. If their children were going to follow in their mother’s footsteps, they were going to do it knowing what the real risks were. 

Looking back, sometimes Nancy couldn’t believe that she survived her teens and early twenties at all. She marveled at her father’s trust and confidence in her to come home safely time and time again. Maybe he hadn’t believed he could stop her even if he had wanted to or maybe he had been afraid he would crush her spirit by keeping her from doing what she loved. In either case, she couldn’t see herself or especially Ned being that permissive with their children. It wasn’t that she didn’t trust them – they were both very smart and capable. But she knew there were so many times when she or one of her friends should have died and didn’t only because of convenient happenstance. And criminals today seemed much, much more twisted and lethal than they were just twenty-five years ago. She couldn’t bear the thought of something happening to her son or daughter. 

Moreover, now that she was older and wiser she could clearly see what a toll her oft-times risky detective work had taken on her father, Hannah, her close friends and especially Ned. She wondered now if in spite of all her good intentions her thrill-seeking and mystery-solving actions had really been a little selfish. Ned had kindly tried to tell her that long ago but at that time it had chafed to hear and she’d ignored it. She was so thankful to him that he hadn’t given up on waiting for her to see his concern for her safety for what it was – a valid concern. That’s why now she was much more selective in the kinds of cases she took on.

Ned brought her back to the conversation. “Nancy, you know how I feel about Liz or Tyler getting involved in that kind of work. I know you feel the same way. It’s just too dangerous! And I thought with Liz working toward becoming an attorney and Tyler being so involved in his sports and schoolwork that they were safe. But now with this new guy and knowing his family background… what if they start doing the same things you, Frank, and Joe did when you were younger? I can’t help but remember that there’s something about Hardys and Drews being together that seems to draw trouble.” He was still speaking lowly but by the time he was finished his words were coming out more rapidly. Ned turned his back to the counter to lean on it and observe the antics in the living room. His red-headed son and Donovan were battling it out on the game while Liz was cheering them both on. 

“Hon, you know Lizzie is old enough to do whatever she wants now. We can’t stop her from doing something she really wants to do. You wouldn’t want to anyway. She’s always been a daddy’s girl and all she has to do is look at you the right way and you cave in to whatever she wants,” Nancy reminded him gently. Ned sent her a baleful look but didn’t argue. He knew it was true. “And, besides, Don said he wasn’t interested in detective work anyway. And I believe him. He seemed too embarrassed about it to be making it up. So what’s the point in worrying about it when neither of them has a desire to pursue it?” She drained the sink and rinsed off her hands before snatching the damp towel from Ned’s fingers. 

Ned sighed again, this time softer. “I know. You’re right. I do think he’s a good kid. And I have to admit that on some level I’m relieved that we already know his family. We don’t have to wonder about how he was raised or if there’s any scary potential in-laws. Unless you count Joe, that is.” Nancy slapped his arm at that comment, though there was a slight smirk to her lips. “It’s nice to know he comes from a good family background. I don’t worry as much about Liz getting hurt by him. Do you remember that boyfriend from high school, Steve something? The one with the obsessive mother?” Ned and Nancy both shuddered slightly at that memory and glanced at Donovan in the next room, as if to reassure themselves of their daughter’s current choice of men. 

“I certainly agree with you there,” Nancy murmured. 

Tyler suddenly appeared in the kitchen, headed straight for the refrigerator. He pulled out a few Cokes and popped one open for himself. He turned to his parents and grinned before drinking half the can in two swallows. 

Nancy arched an eyebrow at him. “How much soda have you had today, Ty?”

“Not too much,” he said, blue eyes shining innocently. Nancy didn’t believe him one second but she let it slide. He looked too excited to have his sister home and she didn’t want to rain on his parade.

“So,” Ned asked, “what do you think of Don so far?”

Tyler swallowed another gulp of soda before saying excitedly, “He’s awesome! I’ve never met anyone who could hold his own against me at video games. He says he used play with his little brother all the time. Guess that’s why.” Tyler shrugged and finished off the rest of his cola before returning to the living room with the other two cans. 

Nancy looked up at Ned. “Well, you heard the boy. If he’s good at video games he must be a winner.”

Ned nodded seriously. “Or at the very least he deserves bonus points.”

The two chuckled before joining the young people in the next room. As Nancy sat back and watched her son and husband team up against her daughter and her daughter’s boyfriend, she couldn’t help but feel a little excited at this latest turn of events. She’d probably never tell Ned this but she had always felt that one way or another she was meant to be connected to Frank Hardy. They got along too well and thought too much alike not to be. She would never have imagined it would work out this way yet somehow it seemed perfect. Nancy found herself hoping that things with Liz and Don would work out. 

Maybe she would dig around for Frank’s telephone number in the morning and give him a call. She knew he’d be just as amazed at this as she was… Amazed but not really shocked. Like Ned had said Nancy and the Hardys had always been drawn to each other - destined to meet, no matter where or when. She and Frank could have tried to make something out of it but they hadn’t.

However, in a roundabout way it seemed that a Drew and a Hardy would get their chance after all.


End file.
